Yasmin and panic attack

I took Yaz for a couple months and was fine during that; however, about a month ago my doctor switched me to Yasmin(I have been on BC for years however, the ortho brand). I've been in the most pain in the past month than I ever have and I'm usually pretty good with pain and just try to take advil or something... but the symptoms have only gotten worse. I finally decided to google my symptoms and I found a lot of people on Yasmin had very similar symptoms. I have the worst anxiety like there's a lump in my throat and sometimes I'm literally grasping for air and I always try to drink a lot of water or cough or eat or burp to make it go away but it doesn't until I wake up the next day (sometimes). Also, I have never ever experience migraines in my life, but the past month I have the worst headaches imaginable. It happens at least 4 times a week; at first I thought they were caffeine headaches because it would sometimes help, but the past 3 days my headache has pretty much been constant (usually located near my temples/eyes). I take probably 8 Ibuprofin a day and drink an excessive amount of caffeine hoping it will make it go away, but it doesn't. Along with these problems I've been feeling lightheaded more often and usually have to sit down immediately or else I feel like I'm going to faint. The biggest/scariest symptom is my heartbeat and chest pain. Heart disease is extremely dominant on my moms side and almost all of her siblings have already had at least one heart attack. Lately my chest will hurt extremely bad, then I feel like my heart rate is just freaking out; I can feel my heartbeat from anywhere on my body and it's very intense. And then because of all of this going on, I always start to freak out and realize i'm getting extremely anxious so I try to make myself take deep breaths but nothings works. The past 4 nights I've been up til like 4 a.m. because my heart rate is so high and my chest hurts so bad in every position I try to lay in that I'm constantly moving. I never thought about going to the doctor because I thought it would get better but now I'm starting to think I should... I'm just wondering if anyone else has/had any of these problems from this medicine and if you've done anything to get rid of them.

(a couple other minor symptoms I've noticed recently are: joint pain and rapid memory loss (I'll be in the middle of a sentence and completely forget what I was talking about and blank out))

I am a 30 year old nurse and know first hand how birth control pills are individual. I was on many before Yasmin. 6 months ago I started Yasmin because it was the new hype in birth control medicine since it reduces length of period, flow of period, and reduces acne.
I don't think the ingredient drospirenone that's included in Yasmin (a potassium sparing drug, and diuretic, another form of the same type is Spironolactone) works for me.
Ever since I had experienced these symptoms:
Anxiety-heart palpitations, suspiciousness, racing thoughts.
Headaches-tension, leading to muscle spasms in neck and shoulders.
Dizziness-Vertigo type spinning sensations
Ear fullness-popping and cracking without losing hearing.
Fatigue-no motivation, especially for an early riser and a person who works 12 hr shifts.
Chest tightness, lump in throat feeling, could be due to increase in stomach acid (HCl).
If anyone else has vertigo, or dizziness, I would love to know!
Thanks,
Good luck with trying a different form of birth control.

Wait a minute!!!!! Let me say that I have really been spooked by everyone testimonials regarding Yasmin. Although I AM sympathetic and very sorry to hear of all you r health problems, I think that before we all get into a panic over this, we need to take other things into serious consideration. We have no clue what one anothers lifestyle is. Their diet, weight, allergies, stress issues , medical issues, other medications, exercise, genes, and sometimes age. I myself have suffered from hair loss, digestive issues, constipation, eyesight changes, fibroid/fatty lump in my breast, migraines, moodiness & poor circulation. And that was BEFORE I went on the pill. Sorry to say….but I’ve learned that these issues all come with age. I’m 39. And at age 35 I started seeing all these changes in my body. I was on NO medication and in pretty good health and would see a doctor regularly just to make sure. Some of these symptoms that were experiencing just might be due to the fact that were getting OLDER!! I even became somewhat lactose intolerant literally overnight. And one lady said in here that there is lactose in the pills. So maybe some of you are more susceptible to it.
And remember, the chemicals and hormones they’re putting in the pill…isn’t All Natural. They’re chemicals!!! Which can be hard on the body. (God did not design us for them). And a lot different from what I remember 20 years ago. When I used to take the pill you had to wait at LEAST a month before you can be safe from pregnancy. Now it’s only a WEEK! Hmmm…..that’s an obvious difference/change/warning….whatever you want to call it. Maybe the pill isn’t such a necessity for some of us. Maybe just a change in diet and vitamins might help us. For just pregnancy protection…maybe try another method like condoms, shots, diaphragm, etc….. I admit that I was having headaches ever since I started the pill 4 days ago. But then I realized that I only got them when I would sneek a cigarette 4 times a day. Shame on me!! That’s the ONE THING they tell you NOT to do. But now I know it’s not worth the pain and risk to my health. I didn’t smoke yet today and….no headache!! But I have not had any other side effects……YET. But when I do, I will look at other issues in my life that are going on….Diet, water intake, stress, genetics, normal woman changes, etc. I’m not saying that all your symptoms are nothing or not related toYasmin, but maybe look at the big picture before you overreact.

I am so glad that I found this site. I was beginning to feel like I was losing my mind. I have been on Yasmin for only 2 months but have been experiencing many of the side effects mentioned- fatigue, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, anxiety, dizziness, and flu-like symptoms. I had these same symptoms when I was on Yaz last year. I wound up going to the hospital for shortness of breath and chest pain. The doctor thought it may be blood clots, but after testing he diagnosed me with bronchitis and asthma (I am 26- never had either in my life). There is definitely something wrong with these pills. I do have anxiety and currently take Xanax. But I have not had panic attacks like this since I was on the pill last year. Sometimes I need to think about breathing to catch my breath and lately it had been hard for me to sleep because my heart is racing. My periods have been lighter and my migraines less severe, but it is not worth it to continue on Yasmin.

I have been on Jasmin for 3 years and stopped taking the pill 3 weeks ago after finishing the last pack.

I had 1 panic/anxiety attack 2 weeks before I started the pill but was FULLY FREE of all other symptoms listed below. After I started the pill, the anxiety continued, but not with the same intensity - I stopped having panic attacks and instead felt permanently uneasy and anxious and began having high blood pressure. I cannot be sure that the pill has aggravated my symptoms, but neither can I believe that my fully changed reaction to any stress (I used to be very stress-resistant) has come from that one panic attack (triggered by strained back muscles).

The symptoms have really started about 3-4 months after I began and became gradually worse. I went to every doctor imaginable and they did not find anything at all wrong with me, except high pressure, which they said is from stress. I have been in psychotherapy for months and do not see an improvement and I feel like I have completely lost the last 3 years of my life: I am afraid of everything, I am unhappy despite a great boyfriend and I cannot imagine my life continuing like this.

When I asked my gyn whether this could be caused by the pill (I did not even connect this all to Yasmin), he said it is unclear, but I should stop because of my high blood pressure anyway.

Here are symptoms I have experienced, though whether they are all from the pill is still unclear to me.

1. Elevated blood pressure (around 140/90 or much higher if I am anxious)
2. Permanent anxiety with varied intensity
3. Permanent muscle tension with resulting pain all over the body
4. Hypoglycemia-like symptoms (but my sugar levels are never really low)
5. Headaches occasionally which can last several days
6. Facial muscle spasms
7. Jaw/tooth pain
8. Tremors - shaking all over for several minutes to half an hour
9. All the standard anxiety symptoms - chest pain, lump in the throat, dizziness, numb fingers, etc.
10. Extreme fatigue
11. Sleeping over 8 hours and still feeling tired
12. Inability to concentrate on anything - trouble working
13. Intense fear attacks during stressful situations (client meetings, talking to my boss, etc)
14. Dry eyes
15. Dry skin
16. Very high adrenalin production - cannot drink any coffee at all
17. Red wine intolerance - my throat starts to contract for some reason
18. Pressure in my head and in the nose now and then
19. Pain in my legs and calves - usually after walking for over an hour
20. Irritability
21. Lack of interest in any social activities, I avoid friends and am afraid of doing anything outside my usual routine
22. Cannot go on without carbs for more than 3-4 hours without feeling hypoglycemic
23. Severe stomach pains and nausea (occasionally)
24. Itching skin

I think this is all...but there could be a couple of things I forgot.

Until now, I have not noticed any real improvements, but my skin is gradually getting worse, which I expected. I guess 3 weeks is not enough to reverse what has been happening in my body for the last 3 years and I am trying to to lose faith and continue going to my psychotherapist...

Well where to start. It started one Weds morning at work. Suddenly came over all dizzy and light headed and felt really really sick. Went home and started with a temperature. Parents say I was pretty spaced out for several days and didn’t really want to talk to anyone. It’s like I was there but I wasn’t. Went to doctor a couple of times and they diagnosed a virus. Problems with sleeping started. Ended up at the hospital out of hours as I was shaking, felt sick, thought I was going to pass out. Nothing found so sent back home. Saw doc again and was referred to a doctor at the hospital who had an interest in viruses. Saw doc and loads of blood was taken for testing. Went back after a couple of weeks and blood tests where clear. By that point I was feeling a bit better so they thought it was post viral fatigue. Went back to work part time and worked myself up to full time. Then it started again. Had to be fetched from work. Colleagues said it was more like I was having a panic attack. Broke down completely. Couldn’t stop crying and was in a right state. Went to docs and was diagnosed with depression and still post viral fatigue. My main symptoms have been, panic attacks, anxiety, faintness, dizziness, nausea, general feeling of unwell, blocked ears, palpitations. There are probably more but I can’t think of them at the minute (Oh yeah, brain fogginess as well !) More blood tests were done and that’s when they said my hormones were a bit low but they didn’t think it was anything to worry about. That’s when I started researching Low hormones and started to come across the problems with Yasmin. I cannot tell you what a relief it’s been. I honestly thought I was going mad and that there was nothing wrong with me and it was all in my head. I sat looking that the screen going ‘that’s me !’ Have stopped taking them straight away. Will see how we get on. Doctor didn’t know anything about the problems and has said he will be interested to know how I get on. I cannot believe they didn’t know. Main thing is I know now and can start getting better.

ok so reading all this just CAUSED me to have a panic attack. i've been having bad depression and mood swings and anxiety and today i was having really really bad stomach cramps and bloating and i can't concentrate and now i'm freaking out. i'm a pretty bad hypochondriac anyway, and now i'm afraid i'm going to have a stroke or something.

i'm sorry if this is really rambly i just wanted to go ahead and post something while i was freaking out to give an example of the anxiety issues caused by this....
:(

i've only been on it for a month and a half now and only have a week left of this pack but after that week i'm quitting. just to make sure my period timing is normal...

oh by the way about me: i'm 17, i've been with the same guy for almost a year, nothing has changed drastically in my life , i'm not as big of a moron as i seem like from this post, i have normal bodily functions , i exercise regularly, i'm pretty healthy, and i normally don't have nearly this bad of emotional issues and don't cry as easily as i have been.

I was put on Yasmin not for birth control but for the beginning of fertility treatments. I was on Yasmin only 1 months. After about 2 days I started getting symptoms. I called the Pharmacist and my fertility doctor and they both told me the pill wasn't the culprit. But after the 20th day I just couldn't take it anymore I went off of it. After starting Yasmin I had TERRIBLE Panic attacks, Anxiety ( still have to this day two months later), Heart Palpitations, leg cramps, boobs hurt, breathing trouble ( still to this day), HORRIBLE thoughts, adrenaline rushes all hours of the day, tingling in my hands and feet, my mind feels fuzzy, no appetite, no sex drive, depression, crying fits for hours, I felt like i was going insane.... You name it I had it. I stopped the pill two months ago and I still have the horrible anxiety/attacks, feel like i cant breath properly, OCD about my breathing.

I went to the hospital and got checked for blood clots in my lungs, legs, Asthma test, EKG, blood tested, was put on heart monitor all came back normal. I have started seeing a therapist, on depression meds and none of it is working. I feel like this pill has ruined my life and i wasn't even trying to stop life i was trying to help create it.

Here i am two months after stopping the pill and yes some of the stuff has went away but i still suffer with Anxiety from the time i wake up in the morning till the time I go to bed at night. And sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety. My head is getting a little clearer and I am not as depressed as before. But I am just praying that this anxiety goes away. I have NEVER been a person who can't handle stress or gets anxiety/panic attacks and since it started it hasn't stopped. I am so very weak, muscles ache so much which i think is from the anxiety attacks and the muscles tightening.

So if you have this... you are not alone! I am suffering with it everyday. It is so debilitating I cant do much. Has anyone else had this months after stopping Yasmin?

I have been on birth control since I was 16 due to severe cramps during that time of the month. I have been on several different kinds. They placed me on Yasmin about 3 yrs ago. I thought that was the best one that I had ever been on until I went off of it. I have been off of Yasmin for about 2 1/2 months, since then I have developed anxiety, panic attacks, depression, with racing thoughts. I have contacted my OBGYN who said that this would not be a side effect. I have to say that everyone's body is different. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced any of these symptoms and if so how long will I feel like this?

Hello! I'm 27 and I've been taking Yasmin for probably 7 years and never had a single problem. My weight stayed the same, my periods got VERY regular, to the DAY, and things were ok.

Starting about 3 months ago I was on my honeymoon and decided to skip my period that month which I do a few times a year and Yasmin never let me down! Anyways my period came anyways and not only that, but I spotted an extra week after! It was most noticable in the mornings after having sex. It was just brown and yucky. Then I didn't have a period the next month, only 24 hours of brown and this month I had a regular one. On top of that I've suddenly gained 5 pounds without changing ANYTHING. I wonder, can Yasmin suddenly screw me up so many years after I started taking it? I hear horror stories about Yasmin but I only see it from women taking it for a few months or maybe a year? It was always so good to me. What's going on? The weight gain terrifies me too because I so easily gain weight and I've been trying so hard to eat well and I feel like it's been pointless. It ticks me off more because I have to pay $50 a month for Yasmin even AFTER insurance pays 15, and now I think it's messing my body up too.

I have a OBGYN appointment in a few weeks and I'm going to talk to her about it and see about getting on a new pill anyways for price reasons, but do you think all these weird sudden symptoms are from Yasmin? Can you recommend a pill? I can't afford to gain anymore weight. I just can't...

Yasmin is the WORST drug out there. I'd been taking Yasmin for 5 months when suddenly one day I had a terrible panic attack and couldn't stop shaking. I went to the ER and they told me I was just having a panic attack so I went home and layed on the couch for about 2 weeks having one panic attack after another and being extremely anxious. Eventually I went to my normal doctor who said Yasmin had nothing to do with it and put me on 37.5mg of Effexor which took away the panic attacks. Eventually I found this website and the Yasmin Survivors website and made the connection. I've been off Yasmin for almost 2 weeks and Im already making a very slow recovery. I don't recommend antidepressants but they are helping me get through it and im hoping very soon I wont need them anymore. This pill is not worth it. It almost ruined my life.

Hi All! I am very excited that I came across this site because if I wouldn't have, I think I would have driven myself crazy. I was on Yasmin for about 8 months before I started feeling VERY anxious, suffering from panic attacks, always crying, very low sex drive, palpitations. I couldn't even go to the grocery store without having a panic attack. I went to see my doctor and he put me on anxiety medication (which is a concern for me because I do not want to be addicted to Xanax). I have now been off Yasmin for close to 3 months. I do feel somewhat better, but I have noticed that when I am close to getting my period and on it, my anxiety level increases. ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY! Does anyone know how long it takes for this awful medication to leave your system? I want to feel normal. If anyone has any idea…PLEASE HELP!!!!

hello all, i've been reading your stories and feel i need to write mine too. i started taking Yasmin about 4 months ago. and i really do not know what to think. i haven't put any weigh on or got acne (which were my worries) and my periods got very light and completely pain-free. i did have constant but mild headaches (which i never have) and my sex drive has gone down (never had any problem before). more importantly, emotionally i am feeling terrible. i cry non-stop and i feel totally unstable. I am going through a lot of changes in my life (change career, country, new relationship, etc) so i thought i could be just that i am feeling stressed. but i think this is more than that. my anxiety has rocketed, I never felt like this before, I have racing thoughts almost constantly, panic attacks, and something that i think it's called 'depersonalization' - has anyone got anything like this? it feels like you're looking from outside yourself, if that makes any sense...not nice at all.
as I have a tendency to feel anxious anyway I really don't know whether the pill is causing this or not, but i feel i am going mad. as i read the postings i became more worried that it might be Yasmin
i went to the doctor who suggested to carry on for a few more months to see if the symptoms go away. i followed his advice (as those days i was feeling surprisingly well, and was optimistic about it) but i am still very concerned.
also, has anyone had a really bad depression/anxiety attack when taking antibiotics + yasmin? i could have killed myself that day. felt better when i stopped taking the antibiotics.
again, is it my mind...? or is it Yasmin...?
any comments would be really great

Both my 19 year old daughter and my 30 year old step daughter were put on Yasmin. Both began having heart problems. The eldest had heart palpitations, a racing heart and dizziness. The doctor discovered that her potassium level had shot up and her magnesium was down. They put her on magnesium to help control the racing heart. It helped, but then she became pregnant and had to lower the dose. The 19 year old has had the worst side effects. She was fine on ortho tricyclene, but when her doctor switched her to Yasmin her blood pressure shot up to 170/118. She began having chest pain. We pulled her off the Yasmin, but she has continued to have uncontrollably high blood pressure. The doctor ran several tests and has found no underlying cause as of this writing. She began taking 5 mg. of Norvasc, but was increased to 10 mg. to manage the high blood pressure.

Just reporting back with some information.
I've been off of Yasmin for over a month now. Overall I've been better but there have been a few "relapses" where I've become so dizzy/lightheaded that I hard-core started to panic. Those days can be disheartening.
I've read some previous posts from an RN who said that Yasmin in particular, suppresses your androgens (testosterone) which causes many of these symptoms. This also explains why sometimes it takes a while for these symptoms to "catch up" I know I was feeling great when I first started.
I'm a lot better now that I stopped Yasmin, but I know it's going to take up to six months to get back to normal. Have your doctor check your hormone level. Even if it's " low normal" that isn't healthy for say, a 20, or 30 year old.
For herbal supplements I would suggest Ashwagandha. It's supposed to help production of your androgens. Also keep hydrated and have plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids.
What I also encourage is to talk about your situation. Once you open up, you'll never know who you'll find that had the same issue. We women can be a very helpful resource for one another.
I'll keep you posted on the progress and I hope the best for all of you.

I am 20 yrs old, very healthy and never had a problem until 6 months after being on Yasmin. I never linked being on this BC and my side effects but I have been off of Yasmin for one month and seeing results. My side effects are subsiding, still have some relapses but nothing compared to what I went through. My side effects were nausea, lethary, weakness, irregular periods, chest pains, irregular breathing, weird heart palpitations, and Panic attacks, and depression. I have never been an anxious or depressed person so those last ones really threw me off. Now being off of it, I am returning to normal, still not completely normal which sucks, cause I was full of energy and a happy person. I really hope that I can be normal again and hope all this gets out of my system.

The health care system has failed me and led me to believe that I had many issues "inside my head." I was on yasmin since spring 07 and was fine for half a year until the symptoms one by one crept up. I too was experiencing the fatigue, the vomiting, the mood swings, the depression and anxiety. I've been known to be very laid back, very easy going, so when I had my first panic attack ever, I knew something was off.
Soon after, I started to experience heart palpitations, chest pains, shortness of breath. One day I was so freaked out I went to the E.R. with a standing heart rate of 142. When all the tests turned out clear, they told me that I should visit the psychiatric clinic. When they asked if I was on any medications, I told them I was on yasmin. The doctors looked at eachother with a confused look and asked me "What's yasmin?" Shows how much they know!
I was getting better overall until a few late-nite episodes had me waking up with my heart pounding and my thoughts racing. This happened two nights in a row which disheartened me since I thought I was slowly getting better. Then, I found this website, and everything made sense. I stopped taking the pill that night, and that night, I slept fine. It's been about three weeks since I've been off of yasmin and I'm 80% back to normal. I was at the point that I thought I would never laugh as loud or never smile as much as I did a year ago. The other day I caught myself with a huge smile for no reason at all . . . and that's when I knew I was on track to recovery.
I started to ask around and found out that many women have experienced very negative effects from yasmin. Last week, I told the woman whose office is next to mine and she proclaimed "I had the same thing too! So did my sister!"
The doctors won't believe you. Many of them are buttered up by the drug companies. Even my sister who's an RN told me that sometimes, you need to be your own doctor. And for symptoms of anxiety, depression, I would recommend 5-htp. It's a plant-derived natural supplement that increases the production of your seratonin. It's so easy to get misdiagnosed and placed on some other medication that has other adverse side effects.
Spread the good word, ladies. We must reach out to one another and take care of one another like sisters. Afterall, who else is there who we can rely on?

Yasmin - Sudden Panic/Anxiety-

I have been on Yasmin for 7 years. I started a new box and pack 3 weeks ago and 72 hours later had what I thought was a "panic attack". I had never suffered panic or anxiety before and I am 32. Then, the chest pain and anxious feeling wouldn't go away (not normal with panic I hear). I went to the Dr and my bloodwork was all "great". I went to a cardiologist and they tested my heart. It was indeed beating "extra" so I had to be one a monitor. Still, the entire time I was miserable and wondering what the heck had happened to me. How could I go from being a normal, well adjusted women to a crazy lady in one day. I was crying and couldn't function, concentrate or eat. I felt like an "out of body" type of experience almost, like it wasn't really me who was feeling all this. Very disoriented feeling. Well, the Dr gave me anxiety pills and I was going to take them. But, in the meantime I went on the "sugar pills" of my Yasmin and guess what? 72 hours after I stopped the pills I felt normal again!!! I'm still not 100%, I'm 90%. Now I have no hard evidence that Yasmin caused this, particularly since I've been on it so long but I can't help wondering if they changed the dosages or something. I have NEVER experienced any level of anxiety or panic before this and going off the pills was the only thing I changed when I started feeling better. Sounds like more than a coincidence to me.

Has this happened to anyone else recently???

please don't take this birth control. I'm a 21 year old girl who spent most of her life being very stable. i started this birth control along with a new relationship and i can honestly say i spaced out a thousands times and i completely lost myself. i suffered from a panic attack. i felt depressed and anxious all of the time. i felt a sense of doom and disgust. and i lost all motivation to focus on my boyfriend and my school work. thanks to yasmin, i'm now single, and failing college! yay yasmin! you fucking suck!

Where to start! I started Yasmin in Sept. of 2005. So I've been on it 2 and a half years. Things were fine for a while. It did what it was supposed to do, including no weight gain. That's how its been marketed here, so that's why i got it. Nothing has happened all of a sudden. Its all creeped up on me very slowly. Headaches, pressure in my sinuses, tiredness...all pretty simple. But here's the thing. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and put on Prozac. The Prozac didnt help. I came off it. Now here's the more troubling symptoms I've experienced. Heart Palpitations, squeezing in my chest making it hard to breathe, increased fear and anxiety (which cause heart attack-like symptoms which can more commonly be described as a panic attack). I've had my finger on the 911 buttons several times in the last 8 months. Now I'm discovering the joy of incontinence. Do you have any idea what its like to be in the store buying groceries and then all of a sudden there's a puddle of number 2 around your shoe? I do. I'm 23. Abdominal pain, stomach distension, constipation followed by diarrhea. Hair loss. Cold feet. LOSS OF SEXUAL DRIVE! My God!

I've said all this to my doctor. He ran blood for everything, there's nothing wrong with me medically. X-rays, mri's, cat scans, ekg's. Nothing nothing nothing. I changed doctors and told the new doctor my story. He figures that because i was put on Prozac for depression, that I must have developed Hypochondria (aka extreme paranoia and a belief that I'm terminally ill). Not true, I know its not terminal, i just need to be put on a new pill. My husband and I have regular sex, he's allergic to latex, and even those non-latex condoms. We're not ready for babies yet, so I dont know what to do. But if this helps someone else, then taking the time to write this was worth it. And as a side note, if you're on the pill and have the choice, and your doc wants to put you on prozac...Don't do it. Try switching your pill first.

I started taking Yasmin august 07-took it for 3 weeks, 2nd week I felt pressure on my chest, 3rd week there was this day I started feeling pressure on my chest and bad palpitations, I got a little worried and they told me I was having a panic attack, it took 20 minutes for me to calm down. I stopped taking Yasmin that day and have continued to feel sick since. Symptoms since Yasmin have been:severe nervousness, shivering, racing heart especially with activity, chest pressure, pain by me heart, huge decrease in appetite, panic, thoughts I will die, body aches, headaches, slight dizziness sometimes. I've been to ER twice I've also had 2 d-dimer tests positive but no blood clot in my chest or legs and been to doctor about 7 times-she just sent me to psychiatry even though she knows I say the pill caused it. I also have an appt with cardiology tomorrow- and I'm sure they will tell me its in my head as well-its been 5 months I wonder how long my sickness will last.

Like many of you on this forum, I am glad to have found this site! First though, I would like to say that I understand not every one taking Yasmin experiences the same side effects. I understand that some women probably have wonderful experiences with this medication. However, it frustrates me that while some women might have good experiences with this drug, I think the potential for SEVERE side effects other women could experience should be much more emphasized and researched. The pamphlet inside the Yasmin packaging briefly touches on what they advertise as rare side effects that overall outweigh the benefits of this drug. I think many of the side effects listed on this forum are not even mentioned in the packet. Personally, I believe I have had a horrible experience taking Yasmin for the past 8 months. It is very frustrating to take a medication that advertises itself to help symptoms (such as MOOD SWINGS) and in fact, causes many of these horrible symptoms in some women! I am so sick of the multi-billion dollar prescription drug industry (which seems severely under-regulated by the FDA.) Has anyone seen the fancy Yaz birth control commercial? You know, with the "we're not gonna take it" song? All those skinny models prancing around in a PMS-free world??? OMG PLEASE!!! I can't believe it has taken me this long to realize all of my horrible symptoms have started and only worsened during my time on Yasmin. I thought this pill wasn't related because my skin looks beautiful, I haven't had bad cramps anymore, I've had light periods, and my boobs have gotten bigger. Sounds great, huh? But since taking Yasmin I have also had such horrible mood swings I can't control myself. I feel like a completely different person. I've become extremely impatient, irritated by everyone on this planet, I can't concentrate, and I have looked so bloated at times several people assumed I was pregnant. My self-esteem is ridiculously low, I hate myself, my mirrors, and I accuse my loving boyfriend of the most ridiculous things. I don't see how he even puts up with me! I have become so depressed I rarely want to go out. I'm EASILY offended by the slightest comments and ridiculously paranoid. It is also very hard to go out when many of my clothes (even my "fat pants" do not fit anymore!) I have thought I was crazy, almost quit my job, left my boyfriend, and seriously wanted to kill myself. I'm aware that many of these symptoms could be caused by other things, but honestly, I have contemplated so many other potential causes (such as major depression) and I realize every thing has started during these past months I've been taking Yasmin. I am 21 years old, I do not smoke, and have generally great health. I feel entirely overwhelmed...I honestly don't know what to do.

My experience with Yasmin has been terrable. Seven days after starting the pill I began to have anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Never in my whole life have I felt so miserable. I have a very stressful job and have always been able to cope with it, not lately. I stopped the pill two weeks into the pack and that was three weeks ago. I'm still having some panic attacks and depression. I'm glad I found this website. After reading comments here, I now see that this is going to be a slow recovery, but at least I can see a light at the end of the tunel. I was told my side effects would go away shortly after stopping the pill. That has not been the case with me. To all you ladies that have had side effects from Yasmin, you are not alone.

I took Yaz for 7 days. In that amount of time, I began experience the most horrific symptoms I have experienced in my life. They included: chest pains, nausea, vomiting, arm pain, and the feeling of imminent death (these caused me to go to the emergency room since they are classic heart attack symptoms for a woman); leg and arm weakness; lethargy; migrane; panic attacks; severe insomnia, diarrhea, and vision problems that caused my contact lens perscription to change and night time vision had profound halos when driving, etc. I was literally unable to stomach any normal food portions I was so nauseous. I normally run 3 miles and could not even make it to the gym for weeks. I was afraid to stay home alone with my 4 year-old and 17 month-old for fear something would happen to me while they were in my care. At the ER they found low potassium levels (which makes no sense given Yaz has a potassium sparring diuretic component). In another blood test, I had elevated iron, which I have never had previously.

I am 35 and have been on bcp's periodically for 12-15 years. I have never had any of these symptoms prior to this experience. I have never had anxiety, depression, or any other underlying health condition. I immediately stopped taking the pills once I made the connection. So far, my recovery has been slow, but at least it is improving. I resent that my ob/gyn and internist both said that the pill would be out of my system in 24 hours. The effects are clearly long lasting (I am approximately 7 weeks off of Yaz).

Finally, my eye doctor, of all people, said that he has seen and heard of people having problems similar to mine and that it was understandable that I would have anxiety when I felt like I was dying from a heart attack. No one perscribing this medication bothered to tell me of the diuretic component or any component that was going to affect depression. I am attorney and have always thrived under pressure, not turned into a panic attack ridden mess like this medication caused.

As for the previous post who stated these are common symptoms described by women, at 35, I know the difference between my normal body function and the hell that began when I started taking Yaz. Unless you have experienced this, then you clearly would not understand. I appreciate that Yaz and Yasmin have worked well for some, but that clearly has not been my personal experience. So, I write this not to discourage someone who has had a positive experience, but to provide support for anyone else who has suffered like I have.

I think maybe you all need to consider - The side affects you mention could be because you are a woman!! The following side affects that women search for and try to find answers for are all typical symptoms that I have had all my life as a woman. Whether on birth control, off birth control, pregnant or not. My life circumstance, relationship, age all make a difference. At any given time I could blame these symptoms on "birth control" but I don't think it is that simple.
-anxiety/mood swings/erratic behaviour
-headaches
-weight gain
-cramps, water retention, swelling etc.
Anyway, I suggest you all try to be reasonable and consider other possible causes of your symptoms? Exercise, eating right, relaxation, relationship building, all of these things can eleviate MOST of these symptoms. By the way, been on Aviane and switched to Yasmin, no difference, sex drive is actually increased, feel good not symptoms if anything , better now and had serious cystic acne and is now gone.

I have been on Yasmin for over 2 years now and have been very happy with it. I also take 25mg spironolactone (which is what the "drsp" is in Yasmin) twice a day in addition to Yasmin for my acne. I have never had such clear skin in my entire life. I have not had any mood issues or panic attacks, nor did I have any side effects when starting the pill. Most of the posts are all the side effects that come with changing to a new medication. I would probably not stay on a pill either if it made me sick. I have noticed that I have gained a small amount of weight (5-10lbs) since I have been on Yasmin. I'm not sure if it is because of the pill or if my metabolism has slowed down (I just turned 26). Overall, I have been very happy with this birth control and do not plan on changing it.

Thank you, Yasmin takers and victims! I began taking Yasmin in 2004. I had no problems. In fact, all was well, I loved my life, started and finished a master's degree, and got engaged over the past few years, while taking the pill. About a month ago, however, everything changed. I began snapping at my fiancé, crying uncontrollably, thinking about ways to not be around people, and even thought about hurting myself to relieve the emotional pain I was experiencing. I thought I was all alone.

A week ago a friend of mine asked me if we could talk. She had been experiencing some of the same symptoms. I hadn't spoken to her about my problems, because I was embarrassed and felt I could deal with it all by myself. After she opened up, I was able to admit my own overwhelming anxiety. We promised each other that we would get through this together. And so, we began looking for similarities in our lives (diet, work, stress, etc.). Yasmin. We both take it.

Although I know that medication affects different people in different ways, it appears that the drug is affecting a lot of people in a negative way. Maybe we can bind together, and get something done, so that others don't have to experience what we have.

I was compelled to write this because of all the negative comments that have been posted. I believe the symptoms people are experiencing are real, but I also believe that they don't happen to every single person who takes Yasmine. People tend to speak out more on the negative than the positive, and that may be part of the reason there's so much bad feedback. I've been on it for two weeks now and haven't had a single side-effect...nothing. Although I wouldn't mind the bigger breasts side-effect. ;) I'm 37 and haven't been on birth control pills in probably 15 years. At the time I started taking this pill, I also quit smoking with the help of Chantix, and still no major mood swings, depression, decreased sex drive, etc. I have very acne prone skin, but it's been MUCH less oily since I started taking Yasmine. I've had some breakouts, but no large cysts. I also started using Retin-A about a month ago and believe the pimples I'm getting now are from that, not the Yasmine. Bottom line, everyone is different, and not all meds work for all people. I would encourage anyone who is concerned about starting Yasmine or wants to come off just because of comments posted here, to think twice and talk to their doctor.

I had taken yasmin for a month and noticed severe side affects- nausea, panic attacks, dizzyness, fainting and i went to the ER to get tests done. they all came back normal. Even after I stopped taking the pill I still felt sick for a long time. The pill brought down my immune system causing me to now have Infectious Mononucleosis (Mono). I've had that for two weeks already and because of my low immune system I have also gotten Pneumonia. I was perfectly fine before I started the pill but ever since then my health has gone down hill. I am going to try another different pill again in December but I don't think I'm going with any similar ingredents...

I've been taking Yasmin for about 1 1/2 years. Before taking Yasmin, I never had any experience with depression or anxiety; however, a couple weeks after I started taking it I had SEVERE anxiety and mild depression. It was really bad and damaging to myself and my relationships. I cried daily and had panic attacks regularly. At the time, I didn't realize it was the pill and it eventually went away. Over the next year I had occasional mild depression which would last for weeks or a month at a time - during these times I was VERY moody and cried a lot. I was constantly upset at friends and family for silly reasons. Occasionally I also experienced occasional nausea.

I recently went off the pill for a month and instantly when I started taking it again I became slightly depressed, couldn't get enough sleep, and began getting angry at people for silly reasons. I didn't realize all these symptoms were related to the pill until now. I'm going to stop taking it today and thank others for posting their stories.

I was on yasmin for nearly 6 months, the first 3 were fine, then after that I experienced terrible anxiety and panic attacks. I have never had anything like this before and nothing really bad was going on in my life, it was completely out of character. Also aftter finding this site, reaslise that perhaps my severe lack of libido and several water infections could also be related.
I have been off it now for 2 and a bit months......and do feel better. I am 99% sure that it was this pill that triggered these feelings, however I have read on a few of the comments that it does take a while to get back to normal. I am still suffering some anxiety and my libido has not returned. Can anyone who has been off the pill for longer than this encourage those of us who have recently come off that we will return to ourselves!!
Thanks

Do Not Take YASMIN. I do not want any other woman having to go through what I have and by the sounds of it, hundreds- thousands of you already have. I, like many of you was a bubbly, warm and happy person who loved life and with the addition of YASMIN a SEVERELY debilitating depression followed. I never stopped crying. I woke up crying, I went to bed crying. Anything at all would start rivers of tears that never stopped. I was ridden with excruciating panic attacks on a constant basis and almost drove myself to the hospital about 3 times a week. Heart palpitations, or what felt like that, were not unusual and my heart was constantly racing. So fast that I felt constantlyyyy anxious. I was not myself. I knew my true self, and this was not it... so what did I do? STOPPED TAKING IT.. immediately. just one day i threw the rest of the cycle in the trash and I have not looked back since. YASMIN is what is causing these same symptoms in you and you can get back to your normal self with just one.. easy.. step. ENDING your attachment to it. Good luck to everyone, just be strong, you'll be alright.

I started getting panic, palpitations, anxiety, bouts of crying, no sex drive, odd taste in my mouth. I only had the taste and lack of libido since early on but felt fine and than whammo the crying and palpitations and anxiety hit. I asked the doctor if it could be the Yasmin even tho id been on it for a while, i got the royal fob off and some lame comment about 'us girls doing funny things sometimes' whatever that means!!!!! It got worst, i couldnt stand to be in the college where id gotten the palpitations to start with so dropped out and i couldnt understand why, but i was cool to still work nearby the college, I had some odd behaviour tho, like i suddenly couldnt park on the ground level for fear of the levels collapsing, i was scared of dying, of freak events, of flying and i LOVED flying, the syptoms waxed and waned and then a few months lather while still having intermittent anxiety a stressful period popped up and that was it i was gone, worst time of my life, allergies, nauseus, paranoia, depression, nightmares, horrific mental images and distressing thoughts, suicidal thoughts. Crux of it was it sucked big time!!!! That was 3 years ago and im still trying to put myself back together! The original syptoms did get better with time but ive never been quite the same.

I just want to say that I was on YAZ for 1 1/2 years and I had absolutely no problems with it. In fact, YAZ was one of two birth control pills that I was on that didn't make me sick, out of five. Yes, sometimes I have anxiety, I'm depressed, bitchy, etc, but it is because I am Bi-polar and have been diagnosed for years now. I hate to sound insensitive, but maybe some of you ladies are just crazy like me. Also, birth control pills pump hormones into your body, and hello, what do hormones do... they can make us a little irrational, bitchy, depressed, etc. YAZ is not that much different than any other birth control.

I just went on Yasmin, because my insurance covers it better than YAZ. I will keep everyone posted, but I'm not too worried.

When a class action lawsuit is filed, let me know....this drug should be taken of off the market immediately. We started all of this with an OB/GYN that prescribed this “miracle pill” and now have had to go not only to our primary doctor, but also a psychiatrist, gastrenologist, college campus counselors, psychologists, psychiatrist, and the campus medical doctors; All the while, accumulating enormous doctor bills. All the doctors say, "No, Yasmin won't cause those problems" (except the college campus doctors..wonder why? Hmm.. could it be that they are not in private practice?)....well, I beg to differ. Everyone needs to give this website to their doctor so the doctors can hear from the patients that have taken this drug, and not listen to the pharmaceutical companies that are pushing this drug to be the "miracle pill". Maybe if enough people complain and go to the media, we can get rid of this drug!
My daughter who is 18 was put on Yasmin because of irregular periods, hormonal imbalance, etc. We were told it was the new “miracle pill”. It will make you loose weight, regulate your periods, clear up acne, you name it, it will fix it. Yeah, right.
She started taking this pill in March 2007. She was off at college but called to tell me she was experiencing horrible headaches, behind the eyes. She complained about her stomach hurting, but we just figured it was the stress of freshman year at college. Then she said she got where she couldn’t eat when she went to a restaurant. When she came home in May for the summer, I noticed a total personality change. For example, she was always a neat freak, and now she wouldn’t clean her room. The first day when she drove home, she started crying she was so mad about the traffic. Yes, she has always had a little road rage, but this was ridiculous.
By June, not only could she not be in crowds, like at a restaurant, but now she is having full blown panic attacks and IBS. We called the OBGYN and they said, “Yasmin won’t cause this, go see your primary doctor”. I knew that the only thing that had changed with her was taking the YASMINE. I knew it had something to do with all of this so I “Googled Yasmin” and this website (http://www.medications.com/se/yasmin) was the first one I looked at. All of her symptoms matched everyone else’s! I am so glad we found this website, it explained everything and I had her to stop Yasmin immediately.
So we went to the primary doctor, explained about the Yasmin and how we thought it was the culprit of everything. Of course this doctor also says, “Yasmin won’t cause that”. We told him to look it up on the internet and see how there are over 3000 complaints on this drug, more than any of the other drugs on the market.
Besides the emotional problems she starting having, her pulse and blood pressure was sky high, so he puts her on medicine for that, and puts her on an anxiety medicine and sends her to a psychiatrist. She is very thirsty all the time, and develops IBS. She can’t eat without having pains in her stomach. So, now we’ve have gone from having just irregular periods, to all of the above, plus a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist doubles her medicine (and puts her Pamine for the IBS) because the panic attacks are gone, but she still is having a lot of nervousness, anxiety, can’t sleep at night, crazy thoughts, worrying all the time, etc. A month later he changes her medicine again, to Effexor. The first 2 weeks, she does okay, but the packet doubles the strength after 2 weeks. It takes 4 weeks for it to take full effect. Right after she doubles this medicine, it is like her senses are on hyper-mode. She can taste everything that is in her food (chili powder, seasonings, etc…), taste the metal in water, and she can hear someone’s phone vibrating, in another room.
Then she goes back to college at the end of August 2007, and it’s horrible. The Effexor is having bad, bad side effects. We called the psychiatrist that she was using at home and he doubled the dose. That was the worse thing they could’ve done. The side effects were worse than ever. I had her to immediately go to a psychiatrist on campus. She told him the whole story and he believed her! Needless to say we switched doctors. He then lowered her dose back down to ½ a dose and hopefully can slowly get her off of all this medicine.
The newest thing she has developed is being hypoglycemic. The campus psychiatrist sent her to a campus medical doctor and he told her that they would get to the bottom of this. He tested her for everything under the sun. Low blood sugar is the only thing they found. But, she hasn’t taken the Yasmin since May. No telling what the results would have came back like if it was done at the time she was taking Yasmin.
Thank goodness she has counselors and doctors there at the campus that believes that Yasmin can cause all of these problems, and are working with her. From what I have read from the people that have used this medicine, although most doctors do not agree, Yasmin takes like 6 months to get out of your system. I think I am going to believe the testimonials of the people who take this medicine, over a doctor who prescribes it.
If everyone goes to the media, their doctors, the FDA, congressmen, and make them aware of these horrible effects, surely we can get this drug off of the market! Does anyone know a class action lawyer that would pursue this? For my child to have to go through all of this is ridiculous, not to mention costly. What do we know of the long term effects this drug will have if it is doing all of this when you first start taking it?
If you have the same concerns as me about this drug, and would be interested in looking into a class action lawsuit, please email: ****** I would be interested to see how many would want to pursue this.

I have been off Yasmin for almost 2 weeks and the panic attacks are gone!!! I feel much better. I decided not to use another form of birth control "with hormones" until my hormones are balanced! The only thing is I am having HORRIBLE headaches, the muscles in my legs and arms are still aching and my mood swings are still there. I hope this ends SOON!! Right now I am taking vitamin B complex to see if that helps any.

I have been on Yaz for a few weeks. The side effects are awful. I am 31 and haven't been on BCP's since 1999. I sat down with my NP to explore different options for dealing with my terrible periods and she thought Yaz was the answer.
Well I have averaged about 4 hours of sleep a night since starting it. Because Yaz is like a diuertic I am up peeing all night as well.I feel anxious and panicky. Normally I am very laid back but feel like I am going nuts.The thing that drives me the most crazy is having restless legs while lying in bed. Time to get my potassium checked? I will be stopping this med as nothing should make you feel this bad. Not worth it.As a nurse I would never tell my patients to take this. I feel like an idiot for starting a pill that 1000's of women on the internet are complaining about.Of course you would never see the positive comments. But this pill sucks!

okay i am not usually one to post on the internet but I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY TO FIND A WEBSITE BEFORE IN MY LIFE!!!!! :-) I seriously think Yasmin is the worst thing that ever happened to me...but I just put it all together right now! Thank you everyone for posting! Let me start out by saying i am NORMAL haha! I am a full time college student, athlete, employee, active family member, and I have always been the happiest, most light hearted person of all time! I have always loved every moment of my life...and was always easily able to cope with and learn from the tough times....UNTIL THE PAST SIXTH MONTHS!!!! i have been on yasmin for about a year and a half and starting about six months ago i have: A) dropped 17 pounds (despite eating everything in sight) and my parents/friends/boyfriend are freaking out with worry and i want to cry because i eat SO much! B) have these weird panic attacks like all my clothes (sweatpants, tshirts too!) feel tight and like they are choking me. I also think I have cancer like a thousand times a day (even though I am perfectly healthy...believe me i have been to every doctor (including my psychologist) in the last six months to check these new symptoms out). I am paranoid about stupid things, like if I will get in a car accident even if I am just driving a few blocks C) my heart beats very quickly, double beats, etc even when i am just resting....not working out, walking up the stairs, rushing around etc D) I can barely sleep at all, and even if i sleep for 12 hours i wake up exhausted E) I snap at all my friends F) Although I have been an athlete my entire life, my workouts and performance have been decreasing consistently. G) My glands are swollen often (yes I got an HIV test....and it was negative) and finally I) I freak out and cry about everything my boyfriend does...and he is the greatest guy in the world! So nice! Our relationship has always been great and he is super supportive! But in these last few months I cry and scream and get frustrated/angry/annoyed with him (and everyone) at the drop of a hat.BUT somehow I feel no emotion 99% of the day then when I am with him I become so awful! How is that possible? I HAVE BEEN SO SAD! and he keeps asking me what is wrong and doubting HIMSELF....omg i cant believe this Yasmin sight...i just showed it to him and it is like a huge weight has been lifted off both our shoulders! I am not a doctor and this IS just a blog I suppose....however I plan on talking to my GYN about this as soon as possible! These symptoms seem to match up with the other posts way too much to be just a coincidence......THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

I am so glad that I found this site, and I don’t feel like I’m going crazy anymore! I’m 22 and had been taking Yasmin for 2 years. About two months into taking Yasmin I began having unexplained migraines for days that would not go away. I was prescribed medication for my migraines, and it didn’t help. Then, I became depressed and would cry about everything. I also became moody and would yell at everybody for no reason at all. I was also tired all the time and was constantly having hot flashes. I also had terrible nausea and vomiting with Yasmin. I vomited almost every night for two months! The worst symptom of all though, was panic attacks that almost put me in the hospital one time. I finally looked up the side effects of Yasmin and thankfully found this site. I have been off Yasmin for two weeks now, and already I feel like myself again! I have more energy, and I am no longer moody or sick to my stomach. I have also not had a migraine and I even feel more clear headed. Yasmin destroyed my relationship with my fiancé and I’ll never get that back. Hopefully, other woman will see this and stop taking Yasmin before it ruins their relationships. I thank all of you woman who shared your stories! I felt so much better after reading them.

There are a lot of negative experiences on here, so I thought I should share my positive one. I have been on birth control off and on for about 6 years. I was on orthotricyclin for the majority of the time-off and on. After getting horrible near migraine headaches on orthotricylin every Friday before my period for about 5 months in a row my doctor and I decided to try a different pill. I was on trilevelin (sp) for 4 months and gained a few pounds and felt easily irritated and emotionally different-just cried easily and not myself. I've been on Yasmin for a month and have had a great experience. I lost the water weight I'd gained and just verified with my boyfriend that my PMS was hardly even there. Everyone is different and has different hormone levels, but so far I am very happy with Yasmin. I've been migraine free tthe whole month!

I have had numerous side effects from Yasmin that seem to coincide with many that I've read here, but a few different ones as well. My anxiety level has been over the top and I have been having panic attacks related to really bizarre things such as feeling like the rings on my fingers are too tight and choking me. I felt the same thing when having an armband place on me while attending a carnival. It felt tight and constrictive and I felt an overwhelming flood of panic, as it seemed to make me smother, until I removed it. I feel extremely bloated and my back aches constantly. I have been sleepless for the most part and when I do sleep, suffer crazy and bizarre dreams. I have had a sore area on the back of my tongue for about 2 weeks. It feels as though my tastebuds have been scrubbed with sandpaper. I am also having problems with facial hair growth and have had stomach pain. I was on Ortho Novum 7-7-7 for 5 years and loved it. I had no side effects from it and my weight remained stable unlike with other pills I've experienced. The doctor took me off of them and refuses to put me back on because she says they are too high estrogen of a pill for someone my age (I'm 33) and since I am a smoker. Any advice?

I started taking yasmin at the beginning of the month suggested by my doctor for very irregular periods. I am 16 and have been irregular for 5 years and wanted a change. I also have very bad cramps or nausea when I am PMSing. I've never had any experience with a gyno and I didn't know what each kind was so I took her word for it. The first week or so I was nauseous before bed when I took it every day. Then 3 weeks later right before I was to start the "white pill" section I almos passed out in school. I was blacking out and shaking with a rapid heart beat and very dizzy. I went to the ER and the doctor said I just had "vertigo" and all tests were normal. After reading this and thinking I now have the stomach flu I have realized that Yazmin is the reason for all of this. I am glad that I'm not going crazy here. The past few days I've stopped talking it but I still have extreme anxiety (possibly caused by upcoming stress in school- i'm extremely busy and all over the place), dizzyness, shaking, nausea, diarrhea, vometing, random shakeyness and headaches. I hope this helps other women that have the same symptoms and are wondering what is going on- I know I was like that until I found this website.

I am happy to have found this site. I have been on Yasmin I believe about 3 years. I am educated in the insurance industry, so I should have known better. I really thought I was going crazy. My mood swings have been horrible for a long time. I am snap at my family just saying everyday things. I sound angry even when I am not. I know I am doing this, but can not control it. I get terrible headaches, muscle stiffness, nausea, exhaustion, and I have gained weight. I also have issues with severe anxiety and wake up in a panic sweating at times. I got hot flashes out of the blue. I have come to the conclusion I need to be off of this pill immediately and I believe that I will start to feel better. I will keep you posted.

Hi, I have been on Yasmin for 2 years now. I have ALWAYS been a very confident and outgoing person. For the past year i have had panic attacks regularly. I am very hot at night, I have trouble sleeping, yet my period pains are at a minimun and I have few symptons of PMT. (Mind you it is still bad enough to take codeine and paracetamol on the first day of bleeding).

Other side effects that I thought would clear up but which haven't are:- dark patches on my forehead and above my lip (doc said they would go, but seem to 'come' and go) and a very sore throat accompanied by swollen glands, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left side of my neck. My fingers are tingly and my joints are swollen. The Chest pains could be related to anxiety. I get a migraine 24-72 hours before I bleed, regular as clockwork now.

The worst is the mood swings and the depression, I just really don't recognise myself, tired and teezy all the time.

I was very happy for the first 3-6 months that I took Yasmin, but after that I have known I haven't been 'right', but my anxiety and depression have made me unable to make a decision or be focused why.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed on the site, it's great to know I'm not the only one.

26 years old/on YASMIN for one year.

I'm sorry you've all experienced so many negative side effects on YASMIN. Everybody is different and it's important to find the pill that's right for you. Ten years ago I tried the BC that comes in the form of a shot in the behind once every three months, and it made to throw-up and gain weight after just one dose. I never took another dose, but it was a year before my body went back to normal. So i know what it's like to have your body disagree with BC.

After ten years I decided to go on the pill again, and I was extremely nervous. I even had a couple different prescriptions filled and then backed out of taking them. Finally, one year ago, I started taking YASMIN. I experienced ZERO NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS. And I immediately felt better than I had in years. I have always had severe anxiety and have been hospitalized for panic attacks and heart palpitations. My last panic attack was on the second day of taking YASMIN, and I have been anxiety free for a year. Okay, well.. I do get anxious sometimes; life can be stressful. But i don't feel like my hearts going to explode, and I don't get dizzy, shaky, nauseous, or any of those other terrible sensations.

I have had many other positive effects:
My periods are lighter. I only have cramps every couple of cycles which are very mild (before I needed a hot pad and some pain meds). But the biggest change for me has been my mood. I am finally happy. I feel like a normal person for the first time, and EVERYONE notices a difference in the way I look and behave.

I'm not telling anyone to take YASMIN. And if i had even one of the terrible side effects some of you have mentioned I would have stopped the pill before finishing the first pack. I just thought you might like to know that if you do find a pill that's right for you, it can greatly improve your life and overall happiness. Be smart, do research, and most importantly- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
.

i have been taking Yamine for about a month and a half, after being on a generic pill for a couple years. I didnt know if these symptons i was having was caused by yasmine, but now i think it may be. I have been getting lightheaded, blurry eyes, shakiness, hot flashes..almost like a panic attack, and i have become very dehydrated, even though i have been drinking alot of water. I even went to the doctors for these symptons and they still don't have an answer, so i think it may be yasmine.my newest sympton as of yesterday is chest pain. also i feel like my heart is beating fast all the time, and i feel fatigued way too often, which is causing me to eat more, becauase i am starving way to often, and if i don't eat i feel like i am going to collapse. Also my sex drive has gone to non-existant- is that common? I workout all the time, and eat pretty healthy, so i don't know what else these symptons could be coming from. Is anyone else experiencing these sympons?

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

Hello, I'm a 27 yr old, married female, who has been on BC for about 9 years. I started Yasmin about 5 years ago, and just got off of it 2 weeks ago.

I never realized how NEGATIVELY it effected me. Some of my side effects were: cysts in my breasts, severe hot flashes, tingeling of my hands etc, I've been hospitalized for heart palps, and chest pain...And I NEVER slept through the night. Not 1 night! UNTIL now of course...Imagine!

I just decided to come off the pill b/c 1. I'm married now, and 2. I wsa so tired of taking meds. I feel AMAZING now! I sleep thought the night, no more panic attacks, or feeling anxious. I'm still a little hormonal and have some hot flashes, but nothing like I used to. And, the week I'd be off the pill and have my period, I was in SUCH a better mood...the second I'd go back on the pill, I'd be so cranky and defensive, I'd feel sick to my stomach- and my eyes were SO dry! Esp. that first week getting back on it- man, it was brutal.

So now, my cysts in my breasts are gone, I'm happy, pain free, and able to sleep though the night!

This is such a great site...I think that different meds work differently on each person, but with Yasmin, there are a LOT of cases in which the effects are not healthy, or worth it! Good luck to all hoping to get off this pill- you'll feel like a different person~

Best,
M

I have been on my "period" for 12 weeks now, and about a month ago my gyn. prescribed Yasmin for me. I have now been taking Yasmin for exactly 3 weeks, and I have been amazed by what I have read in this site! I met my live-in b.f. 2 1/2 years ago, and used to be such a fun, energetic, hopefull, and loving person. I took Yasmin for a couple of months in 2005, and looking back,...after stopping the pill because of extreme mood swings, that is also when my panic disorder came about. I never have been able to understand why a person like me, who once had so much to offer had become a walking basket case having very frequent, debilitating panic attacks. I am blessed to have such a concerned, and compassionate b.f. and he has told me that he has seen an extreme diference in me. Like I said above, my gyn. put me back on Yasmin 3 weeks ago to stop my bleeding and regulate my periods, and it never dawned on me that Yasmin is what started my chaos until now. And my bleeding has not stopped! I don't know what to do. It seems clear to me that my problems are stemming from this pill, but others have said on this site that the side effects continue well after the pill is stopped. What to do? Needless to say, I will be making an appt with my dr.

I had been off Yasmine for almost 3 months and am feeling way better. I started Yasmine in Jan.2006. All was well for 3 mos, then I noticed over that summer my periods were heavier and longer and very clotty. Brown to black to start. And they lasted like 6-8 days!! Then in Aug 06 i had a migraine for 3 days! Then Sept. and again in Oct. Also, I started suffering panic attacks, i would get dizzy and frantic and my heart would race, I was moody and depressed and ended up on anti deppressants and antixiolitcs. My hands would tingle like i wasnt getting blood pumped there. I saw a psych doctor & she said it wasnt the pill I explained that this all heightened during my second week of active pills. Nope not that. My gyn said so too. I swore to him that I thought that this pill was giving me too much hormone and effecting my whole balance and equilibrium of my body... well i started a diary and found I was gettin a migraine the Thursday before my period and the migraine was gone Sunday on my start day. And My panic attacks and anxiety did get worse after 9 days of my new pack. And there was no reason or extra extra stressors at that time happening. It was incapacitating! I had to call in sick, missed college classes and then this pass April 07 lost my job from calling out once a month. At any rate I requested from my GYN to take me off the Yasmine. That was the middle of My . I have iregular periods again but NO MIGRAINES, NO OVER EATING, NO CRAMPS, and my flow is way lighter and not as long. In addition, I no longer suffer from full blown panic attacks, just some extra jitteriness here and there like hmm when i should, during a normal crisis. I had an awful experience with this pill, and would not wish it's side effects on my worst enemy!